The 43 Days of Daytona - 12th Place in 2005
Over the 43 days leading up to the Daytona 500, I'll be doing a short review/preview of the Top 43 Drivers of 2005.
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Jamie McMurray
#26 - Crown Royal / Irwin Tools
Last season, he ran all 36 races in the Chip Ganassi #42-Texaco/Havoline Dodge. He had 1 poles, no win, 4 Top 5's, and 10 Top 10's. His winnings were $3,923,970.
Toward the end of last season with a year left in Jamie's contract, he signed a follow on contract...but not with Ganassi. This year and for the next few season Jamie McMurray will be behind the wheel of a Roush Racing Ford. Ganassi seems to be floundering in the wake of this. At first they weren't going to let him out of his contract and make him drive the last year of it. And then, they released him. They fired Sterling Marlin and ended up with a team consisting of Casey Mears and two rookies. The jury is out on whether Mears is ready to be the senior member of a race team or not.
Jamie joins an established group of winners. There was some initial tension when it became evident that Matt Kennseth felt slighted because he hadn't been consulted, since with Mark Martin's retirement, that didn't happen, he thought he was going to be the senior member of the race team. Add in Kurt Busch leaving the team and Matt felt secure. Sorry Matt, Jamie is there and Mark came back...you're still not it...and Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle might both have something to say about who sticks around in a Roush car when he has to draw down to four teams, between 2009 and 2011, in accordance with NASCAR rules here in a few years.
Jamie has talent. He showed that the second time he ran the Coors Light car while Sterling was injured and won. Jamie in Roush equipment could be a holy terror...but then, in Roush equipment they have six holy terrors.
Jamie and Carl Edwards were added to the Gillette Young Guns line up.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Yes. It is a mixed bag between three or four companies, but Roush has become very professional at this.
Do I think he could go win a championship? Roush equipment. Talented driver. Yes. Yes. And Yes.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? See answer above.
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Jamie McMurray
#26 - Crown Royal / Irwin Tools
Last season, he ran all 36 races in the Chip Ganassi #42-Texaco/Havoline Dodge. He had 1 poles, no win, 4 Top 5's, and 10 Top 10's. His winnings were $3,923,970.
Toward the end of last season with a year left in Jamie's contract, he signed a follow on contract...but not with Ganassi. This year and for the next few season Jamie McMurray will be behind the wheel of a Roush Racing Ford. Ganassi seems to be floundering in the wake of this. At first they weren't going to let him out of his contract and make him drive the last year of it. And then, they released him. They fired Sterling Marlin and ended up with a team consisting of Casey Mears and two rookies. The jury is out on whether Mears is ready to be the senior member of a race team or not.
Jamie joins an established group of winners. There was some initial tension when it became evident that Matt Kennseth felt slighted because he hadn't been consulted, since with Mark Martin's retirement, that didn't happen, he thought he was going to be the senior member of the race team. Add in Kurt Busch leaving the team and Matt felt secure. Sorry Matt, Jamie is there and Mark came back...you're still not it...and Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle might both have something to say about who sticks around in a Roush car when he has to draw down to four teams, between 2009 and 2011, in accordance with NASCAR rules here in a few years.
Jamie has talent. He showed that the second time he ran the Coors Light car while Sterling was injured and won. Jamie in Roush equipment could be a holy terror...but then, in Roush equipment they have six holy terrors.
Jamie and Carl Edwards were added to the Gillette Young Guns line up.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Yes. It is a mixed bag between three or four companies, but Roush has become very professional at this.
Do I think he could go win a championship? Roush equipment. Talented driver. Yes. Yes. And Yes.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? See answer above.
posted by Mark "Puff" Anderson | 10:46 PM
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